NRDC: A Call to Action for More Efficient Clothes Dryers - U.S. Consumers Missing Out on $4 Billion in Annual Savings? (PDF)

june 2014 NRDC issue brief iB:14-05-A

A Call to Action for More Efficient Clothes Dryers: U.S. Consumers Missing Out on $4 Billion in Annual Savings

hile major appliances like air conditioners, , and even clothes washers have undergone significant energy efficiency improvements during Wthe past 20 years, the amount of energy wasted by clothes dryers in the United States has received little attention, and energy efficiency standards for them remain essentially unchanged. In fact, today’s typical electric clothes dryer sometimes consumes as much energy per year as a new energy efficient , clothes washer, and combined. Currently, Americans spend $9 billion annually to operate their dryers, but extensive research by the Natural Resources Defense Council and its consultant Ecova shows that just updating residential dryers to the level of the most efficient versions sold overseas could save U.S. consumers a whopping $4 billion a year.1 Now is the time to seize the massive energy savings opportunity more efficient dryers represent.

Project Manager Contributing For more information, and Editor: Authors: please contact: Noah Horowitz Chris Calwell Noah Horowitz Senior Scientist David Denkenberger [email protected] NRDC Brian Spak Ecova Other key findings from our testing and analysis:2,3 n How a consumer uses a dryer is almost as important as which dryer is purchased. Choosing a lower operating n Ther e are 89 million residential clothes dryers in the United States (75 percent are electric models, 25 percent temperature can slow the drying process a little, but it cuts use natural gas). Although electric dryers dominate the energy use significantly. Stopping the dryer before all of the U.S. market, natural gas dryers typically cost 50 percent clothes are bone-dry saves time and energy, while reducing to 75 percent less to operate. wrinkles and helping clothes last longer. n A typical household pays over $100 in annual utility bills to operate an electric dryer and $40 for a gas dryer. Homes Background with electric dryers pay at least $1,500 over the dryer’s lifetime for the electricity to power the machine. Clothes dryers are arguably the most important of all residential appliances in need of an energy efficiency n If all of America’s electric dryers were updated to the upgrade. Of the washer-dryer pair, clothes washers have most efficient models sold in other parts of the world, received more attention with a complete makeover over U.S. consumers would not only save $4 billion worth of the past two decades. Nearly half of all models now open energy per year, it would prevent roughly 16 million tons from the front rather than the top, which allows them to of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to the spin more water out of the and reduce energy and pollution from three coal-fired power plants. water consumption. Additionally, washers today contain n U.S. policies for clothes dryers lag behind those for sophisticated technology for optimizing detergent, energy, other appliances. More focus is needed to a) update the and water use across various sizes and types of loads, which test method for measuring dryer energy use, b) develop means they use about 75 percent less energy and 40 percent improved dryers for the U.S. market, c) implement labeling less water than they did in 1981. This remarkable success was programs such as Energy Star™ to help consumers accelerated by substantial rebates from energy and water identify the most efficient models, and d) provide utility utilities over the years. rebates for the most energy efficient models.

Figure 1. Annual energy consumption of electric clothes dryers vs. other major home appliances, 1981 and 2012

2500 ■ Refrigerators $300 ■ ■ Clothes Washers ■ Electric Clothes Dryers $250 2000

$200

1500

$150

1000 $100 Annual Operating Cost ($/yr)

Annual Energy Consumption (kWh/yr) 500 $50

0 $0 1981 1981 2012 2012 Electric Dryers Electric Dryers

YEAR

Source: Data for refrigerators, dishwashers, and clothes washers from the Association of Manufacturers on new purchases. Data for dryers estimated from a collection of field studies conducted over the past four years by Ecova and others.

PAGE 2 | A Call to Action for More EfficientC lothes Dryers Figure 2. Example of matching washer and dryer pair houseandhome.com/design/whirlpool-duet-steam- -pair

New refrigerators and dishwashers have also made significant progress during this time, cutting energy use by more than half. Now it’s time for the clothes dryer—the less glamorous laundry sibling—to become a critical focus of future energy savings efforts because it may be using as much energy as a typical clothes washer, refrigerator, and dishwasher combined. Dryers have yet to participate in the appliance efficiency revolution in America. They are stuck in the 1970s when it comes to the kind of smart technology that can cut energy use and make clothing last longer. While manufacturers have made additional improvements in their laboratories and in some of the products they sell in other countries, many of these innovations have not been incorporated into the products offered in America. This is due to the lack of proactive government policies that would pull the next generation of more efficient dryers to the U.S. market. As a result, U.S. consumers spend billions of dollars more per year drying their clothes than necessary, and potentially even more than that replacing worn-out clothes because of exposure to excessive heating and tumbling in clothes dryers. Example of matching washer and dryer pair In Australia, Europe, and Asia, significantly more efficient dryer models already represent large percentages of dryer utility rebate support for significantly more efficient clothes sales. If all of America’s electric clothes dryers were updated dryers. Government policies can and should do more to to the most efficient models sold overseas, Americans would improve dryer efficiency and reduce consumers’ drying costs. save about $4 billion worth of energy per year and about 16 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to 3. Consumers have a surprising preference for electric over modeling performed by NRDC’s consultant Ecova. This is gas models. Almost 60 percent of U.S. households consume equivalent to taking three coal-fired power plants—and their natural gas for some fraction of their energy use, typically associated pollution—offline. to heat their homes or to heat water. Where natural gas is available, it tends to be one of the lowest-cost ways to provide The Reasons Behind Dryers’ High Energy Use on-site heating in a home. The same is true of drying clothes: Why do clothes dryers use so much energy? Five basic factors It costs about 50 to 75 percent less to do so with natural gas are at work: than with electric resistance heating. Yet only 25 percent of 1. Decades-old technology. Most clothes dryers are incredibly U.S. households have a gas dryer, meaning the majority of simple inside: equivalent to an oversize connected homes with access to natural gas are missing an opportunity to a big, spinning metal drum. They bake the water out of to cut their energy bills by switching from an electric to a clothing with brute force, wasting a lot of energy because of natural gas clothes dryer. the inefficient way they heat the air that goes into the dryer. 4. Dryers have to work harder when washers don’t extract as 2. Government has failed to push industry to improve. much water as they are capable of. Most new clothes washers California and the federal government have published or are equipped with faster, more powerful motors that are updated mandatory efficiency requirements for refrigerators capable of spinning clothes at higher speeds and for longer seven times since the 1970s. However, during that same periods than older models. This should give dryers far less period, the federal government has published or updated work to do, as the clothes coming out of the washer hold its clothes dryer standards just three times, capturing only less water. Yet data from the field show that dryer energy use modest energy savings on each occasion. Prior to May 2014 per home has dropped only modestly over the past 25 years. there was no ENERGY STAR specification for clothes dryers Users may not be selecting the most efficient settings on their (with the label, consumers will be able to more easily identify washers, and small, unbalanced loads can make it difficult the models that exceed federal efficiency standards and these for washers to achieve their full spin potential. That means ENERGY STAR models are expected to be available before dryers sometimes have to work harder to eliminate moisture the end of 2014); no mandatory EnergyGuide labeling to help from clothing. Furthermore, the effectiveness of dryers’ consumers compare the energy use of different models as termination controls varies, meaning that some dryers keep is required on many other appliances; and no widespread tumbling and cooking clothes for 20 to 30 minutes even after the clothes are dry.

PAGE 3 | A Call to Action for More EfficientC lothes Dryers 5. trumps energy savings in the U.S. market. Any There are several key problems with the way in which the method of drying clothing trades energy use for convenience. energy use of dryers is measured today: For example, line-drying requires no purchased energy but is The test load doesn’t reflect real-world laundry loads. To test a too inconvenient and time-consuming for most Americans. dryer, the DOE must use a representative laundry load so that Most popular U.S. dryers do their work quickly but require a measured energy consumption is consistent with real-world considerable amount of energy. In parts of the world that use use. Many years ago, the DOE decided to test dryers with a less energy to operate clothes dryers, the drying process takes load composed exclusively of thin, synthetic cloths similar to significantly more time. The U.S. market is unique in favoring a dinner napkin or dish towel. These are not as heavy, thick, very large dryers that run at high temperatures to dry clothes or challenging to dry as the items in a typical household load, as quickly as possible. These designs commonly overdry like jeans and towels. The dryer doesn’t have to work as hard clothing, which wastes energy and accelerates clothing wear to dry the test cloths, and in most cases, this produces an and tear. Today’s dryer drums also tend to be mostly empty artificially low number for a dryer model’s energy use. while they’re operating; this wastes energy because the dryer heats the drum and the air inside it instead of the water in Only one setting is tested. Many consumers select dryer the clothing. settings according to the size of the load, the fabric of the Because U.S. clothes dryers have not been differentiated clothing, how dry they want their clothes to be, and how by energy use, manufacturers and retailers market dryers fast they need dry clothes. Yet the DOE tests dryers in only primarily on the basis of purchase price, capacity, features, one setting, despite testing washers in several different and speed. Manufacturers also design the dryer cabinet to settings and load sizes. Not all U.S. households use their precisely match the size, style, and color of the companion dryers in the same ways, but in its testing, the DOE acts , hoping to persuade customers to buy a as if they do. set when they upgrade the washer (about 70 percent of all Old test methods do not measure accuracy of controls. Prior dryers are sold as half of a laundry pair). Washers and their to the new testing rule that takes effect in 2015, DOE has matching dryers typically sell for the same price, yet washers never measured how effectively dryers stop their cycles once are far more expensive to produce and are the primary way the clothes are dry. They give all models with “automatic manufacturers distinguish their laundry pairs from the termination” capability a fixed 13 percent energy credit but competition. As a result, most of the profit in selling laundry do not measure how well that capability works. The best appliances comes from the dryers, giving manufacturers an automatic termination designs save about 15 percent to incentive to keep the upfront cost of the products as low as 20 percent of total energy use—and reduce unnecessary possible and discouraging energy efficiency innovation. clothing wear and tear—simply by shutting off promptly when they sense that the clothes are dry. But the worst automatic termination dryers can use even more energy than Test Methods dryers running simply on a timer. The EPA is requiring use of One of the biggest barriers to improving clothes dryer DOE’s new test procedure that auto-terminate capabilities be efficiency is the failure of the U.S. Department of Energy tested for those dryers seeking the voluntary ENERGY STAR (DOE) to properly measure how clothes dryers actually label. But these models can be tested the old way to meet perform. More than 150 million dryers have been sold in the mandatory federal standards, even though most consumers United States in the 27 years since the federal government dry clothes using an automatic termination setting. It’s very started regulating dryers, but without an effective means of difficult to make energy efficiency comparisons when the differentiating efficient from inefficient models. government allows models to be tested using two different The current, flawed energy efficiency tests for dryers make methods. it tricky for consumers and utilities to figure out which ones Drying time is not reported. A given load of clothes will take are the best and how much energy they use. Unlike nearly less energy to dry if the heat is reduced and the clothes spin every other appliance, dryers lack the yellow EnergyGuide for a longer period. But well-designed automatic termination labels that tell consumers how much energy a given model circuits in a dryer can save energy use and time. The only way consumes. But until DOE tests dryers more accurately, an to fairly compare the performance of one dryer to another is EnergyGuide label could prove more confusing than useful. to know its energy use and its drying time, but the DOE does not require manufacturers to report the latter. Utilities can help by conducting additional testing on the most promising new models they intend to offer rebates on to consumers. These new tests are more challenging and realistic than current government testing. ENERGY STAR will require disclosure for the drying time for the efficient models that bear its label.

PAGE 4 | A Call to Action for More EfficientC lothes Dryers Gas vs. Electric vs. Heat Pumps: of the energy used by conventional electric dryers, depending How Do They Compare? on design. One key drawback is that most European heat pumps tested so far have longer drying times than Americans Early field testing in the Pacific Northwest and laboratory are accustomed to. testing at Ecova both show that clothes dryers use more Another option is to turn natural gas into heat inside energy in real-world operation than the federal government the dryer, instead of having the utility convert the fuel estimates, increasing the value of the energy savings that to electricity, send it over wires to a home, and then turn would be produced by improving the energy efficiency of the electricity back into heat. Comparing the total energy dryers. The data also show that an electric clothes dryer can consumption of electric versus natural gas dryer models is draw 5,000 watts or more of peak power when its internal tricky; one must take the comparison all the way back to heater is operating, making dryers one of the largest single the origins of each energy source instead of looking only at electric loads in the home during operation. energy use in the dryer. Figure 2 illustrates the source energy One simple strategy for improving dryer efficiency is to use and drying time for three technologies. Natural gas turn down the heating element and slow the drying process. dryers are the clear winner compared to an electric resistance This simple step, which most consumers can perform by dryer fueled by an electric power plant as they are relatively switching their dryer to run in “delicates” mode or another efficient (a higher combined source energy factor represents low-heat setting, can save a modest amount of energy. Some a higher degree of energy efficiency) and fast. Conventional newer dryer models offer an “eco mode,” which sometimes electric resistance dryers are fast but waste energy; they saves more energy but takes longer to complete. can be marginally more efficient, but slower when run on a Many dryer models sold in Europe, Australia, and Asia lower temperature setting. Heat pumps have the potential incorporate technology, which creates heat more to be the most efficient and environmentally friendly option efficiently by collecting it from the drum outlet air (see “What (especially if their electricity is largely supplied by renewable Makes Heat Pumps Better?” on Page 6). This technology is energy sources), but they also take the longest to dry a given poised to enter the U.S. market in late 2014 or early 2015. Lab load of laundry. testing suggests heat pump models can save 50 to 60 percent

Figure 2. Source energy–adjusted efficiency vs. drying time for different drying technologies

2.5

2.3

2.1 Heat Pump Dryers 1.9 Gas Dryers 1.7

1.5

1.3

1.1 Conventional Electric Resistance Dryers - Slowed Down 0.9 Combined Source Energy Factor (lbs/kWh) 0.7 Conventional Electric Resistance Dryers 0.5 30 60 90 120 Cycle Time (Minutes)

Each of the boxes in this figure represents individual dryer models on the market today. Source energy accounts not only for the energy used at home to dry the clothes, called site energy, but also the energy losses incurred during electricity generation and transmission to the home.

PAGE 5 | A Call to Action for More EfficientC lothes Dryers Making a Better Dryer Recommended Actions for Conventional electric dryers run quickly but use too much Consumers, Manufacturers, energy. Heat pump dryers save energy but take more time. Utilities, and Policymakers Natural gas dryers best balance drying time and energy use, We can convert dryers from energy wasters to energy but many U.S. households do not have access to natural gas savers through a variety of actions that have the potential or might object to the cost to extend existing gas lines to the to reduce electricity consumption by about 40 percent by laundry area where the dryer is located. 2030, according to modeling by Ecova. To determine the Conventional electric dryers can be made to use less amount of energy that dryers could save, we considered energy by more accurately monitoring temperature, the impacts of the technical and policy changes described level, and clothing dryness to prevent over-drying. The in Table 1 on Page 7. Particularly important for long-term dryer’s outgoing hot air can also be used to help warm the energy savings is a strong federal energy efficiency standard. incoming cool air through a . Dryers can also Once significantly more efficient models enter the market, be manufactured to save energy by gradually throttling down utilities should consider offering early incentive programs the heat and airflow periodically at particular times during to permanently retire and recycle functioning electric the drying cycle. dryers and replace them with substantially more efficient ones. Already, leading utilities across the nation are working What Makes Heat Pumps Better? together through the Super Efficient Dryer Initiative (SEDI) to help accelerate the shift to dryers that don’t waste as much Instead of creating heat from scratch, heat pumps energy. In order to make this transition possible, consumers, collect heat from the drum outlet air and concentrate it utilities, manufacturers, and the federal government must within the dryer’s drum, thus saving energy. European work together to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and user heat pump models usually condense the water out of acceptance of advanced dryer technologies. the laundry into a tank, rather than venting it outdoors In the meantime, consumers can dramatically reduce the as steam, because European homes often lack laundry amount of energy used to dry laundry without buying a new vents. These models are very energy efficient but are machine. The first step is to lessen the amount of water in the typically smaller, slower, and more expensive to purchase clothes before they enter the dryer by using the maximum than U.S. dryers. Heat pumps introduced into the U.S. speed of the washer’s spin cycle. If not in a rush, consumers market may combine the best of both worlds, allowing can choose lower temperatures and slower settings on the users to choose a mix of conventional electric resistance dryer. Filling the drum about two-thirds to three-quarters heating (for speed) and heat pump heating (for efficiency) full, if possible, gives the clothes room to tumble but when the user is not in a hurry. They will have a bigger minimizes the wasteful heating of empty space inside. Drying drum volume, like typical U.S. dryers, and may allow two or more loads consecutively also saves energy because moisture to vent outdoors as well. These design changes the drum is already heated for the next load. If natural gas is should yield faster drying times than in Europe, while still an option, consumers with electric dryers should consider delivering energy savings of 40 percent to 50 percent switching. By the end of 2014, ENERGY STAR–labeled dryers relative to standard U.S. dryers. will be available for the first time. These models will be more efficient, and the label will provide an easy way for ➊ Heat pump unit consumers to identify the energy-saving models. Over time, (integrated into consumers should consider migrating to heat pumps or other base group) super-efficient dryer technologies as they become available. And, of course, consumers can save the most energy by Heating up the air ➋ simply line-drying clothing. ➌ ➌ Heating up and dehumidifying the washing

➋ ➍ ➍ Cooling and dehumidifying the air ➊ and direct discharge of condensation water

PAGE 6 | A Call to Action for More EfficientC lothes Dryers Table 1: NRDC Recommendations for Manufacturers, Utilities and Government Agencies to Help Reduce Dryer Energy Use

Long-Term: Maximum Stakeholder Near-Term: Easier Actions Mid-Term: More Ambitious Actions Savings Potential Manufacturers n Ensure dryers provide information n Conduct R&D on promising new n Bring heat pumps and other to users on efficiency of settings dryer technologies. advanced technologies like radio chosen. frequency drying, heat exchangers, n Introduce large number of ENERGY and heat and airflow modulation n Test and certify as many models STAR-compliant models that meet to market to maximize energy as possible using automatic targets without increasing drying savings. termination. time and offer even greater energy savings in optional slower modes. n Assist in development of more realistic test procedure.

Utilities n Support development of more fair n Gas and dual-fuel utilities should n Test washers and dryers as a pair and realistic testing to determine rebate ENERGY STAR natural gas with realistic loads to determine which products should receive models and encourage gas line typical energy savings and rebates. extension to the laundry area in synergies from operating both as new and existing homes. efficiently as possible. n Provide rebates for most-efficient dryers. n Establish even higher rebates for heat pump or equally efficient n Conduct field studies to determine technologies that can dry more baseline energy use and real-world quickly. savings potential.

Government n Publish test data on current dryer n Regularly update ENERGY n Test products with new test Agencies models measured with automatic STAR specifications to increase procedures and publish results. termination. stringency. n Develop new mandatory standards n Launch initial ENERGY STAR and n Update test procedures to more and labeling on the basis of that Emerging Technology specifications accurately reflect real-world loads new data. for electric dryers. and use for electric dryers.

n Change the metric for dryer efficiency from site energy to source energy so that requirements are technology neutral.

ENDNOTES 1 Denkenberger, D, S. Mau, C. Calwell, E. Wanless, and B. Trimboli. 2012. “What Lurks Beneath: Energy Savings Opportunities from Better Testing and Technologies in Residential Clothes Dryers.” Proceedings of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Summer Study. 2 Denkenberger, D., S. Mau, C. Calwell, and E. Wanless. 2011. “Residential Clothes Dryers: A Closer Look at Energy Efficiency Test Procedures and Savings Opportunities.” Ecova and NRDC. 3 Denkenberger, D., C. Calwell, N. Beck, B. Trimboli, D. Driscoll, C. Wold. 2013 “Analysis of Potential Energy Savings from Heat Pump Clothes Dryers in North America,” Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP).

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